This school takes burden out of education for kids
St Xavier’s school lightens the burden of class I-IV students by letting them keep their school bags in classrooms after school
By Yogesh Avasthi, Hemington James
Posted On Monday, August 03, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=200908032009080303275168726857cb)
Three-year-olds slouching under bags twice their size are a common sight outside schools. A school in Mirzapur, however, has decided to lighten the burden of young students by letting them their stacks of school books in the school itself.
St Xaviers School gives students of class I-IV the option of leaving behind their school bags and books in their classrooms.Students and parents alike are happy with new facility which was introduced in June.
Principal Father Pedric Rebello said, “We believe in ‘bhar vinanu bhantar’ (education without burden). We have deduced from experience that 30 to 45 minute lessons on a subject are sufficient for primary students. There is no kid for the kid to keep revising them at home and in tuition, which to often leaves them no time to play. We want them to finish their studies in school itself.”
“This will also relieve young students from having to carry heavy books every day. We have also decided to give no home work to students of classes 1 to 7. If a student wants to carry school books on a few subjects home, he is free to do so,” the principal added.
The school authorities say they are trying to come with innovative teaching methods using audio-visual aids and a focused approach to take students away from rote learning.
“Most children end up simply reproducing a lesson with constant repetition. This is not learning, as the child has not understood the concept. We random question any student in the last 10 minutes of a period to test how much they have grasped,” Father Rebello said.
By Yogesh Avasthi, Hemington James
Posted On Monday, August 03, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=200908032009080303275168726857cb)
Three-year-olds slouching under bags twice their size are a common sight outside schools. A school in Mirzapur, however, has decided to lighten the burden of young students by letting them their stacks of school books in the school itself.
St Xaviers School gives students of class I-IV the option of leaving behind their school bags and books in their classrooms.Students and parents alike are happy with new facility which was introduced in June.
Principal Father Pedric Rebello said, “We believe in ‘bhar vinanu bhantar’ (education without burden). We have deduced from experience that 30 to 45 minute lessons on a subject are sufficient for primary students. There is no kid for the kid to keep revising them at home and in tuition, which to often leaves them no time to play. We want them to finish their studies in school itself.”
“This will also relieve young students from having to carry heavy books every day. We have also decided to give no home work to students of classes 1 to 7. If a student wants to carry school books on a few subjects home, he is free to do so,” the principal added.
The school authorities say they are trying to come with innovative teaching methods using audio-visual aids and a focused approach to take students away from rote learning.
“Most children end up simply reproducing a lesson with constant repetition. This is not learning, as the child has not understood the concept. We random question any student in the last 10 minutes of a period to test how much they have grasped,” Father Rebello said.
